SEFE, Inc. (SEFE) and Natural Electricity

SEFE, Inc. (SEFE) and Natural Electricity

The renewable energy movement, which has jumped dramatically in worldwide governmental and commercial support over the past decade, has largely focused on the conversion of various natural energy sources into electricity. Natural energy, in the form of sunlight, wind, or geothermal heat, can be captured, but it is then usually converted into electricity. Electricity can be viewed as the “currency” of energy, a common unit that facilitates exchange. Electricity is readily transportable and convertible back into mechanical and other forms of energy. However, what scientists have discovered over time is that electricity also exists in its pure form in nature.

The obvious example is lightening, where huge voltages and currents light up the sky during thunderstorms. But there are other less familiar examples of the natural generation of electricity. It has long been known, for instance, that certain materials generate electrical charge when an outside mechanical force is applied. It’s called the piezoelectric effect, and it is believed to occur naturally during earthquakes, when quartz, a piezoelectric material, is put under pressure during geological shifts, generating observable electrical effects in the ionosphere. In addition, a natural current flow, called the Wilson current, has been measured above electrified clouds. Even clouds that do not generate lightening have been found to possess significant Wilson currents.

In the case of SEFE, a way has been found to actually tap a vast reservoir of widespread static electricity that is present in even non-storm atmospheric conditions. The Colorado company has discovered, and is continuing to develop, ways to generate electricity directly from the earth’s atmosphere, in virtually any location and weather condition. The efficiency losses that are a normal part of converting mechanical or other energy sources to electricity are not a factor with the SEFE system, since the captured energy is already pure electricity. The only conversion required is from DC to AC for easier utilization. The SEFE approach has other clear advantages over traditional renewable energy generation. Unlike geothermal or hydroelectricity, it is not tied to a specific location. Nor does it require a large land footprint. And it produces energy that doesn’t require daylight or specific wind or weather conditions.